“had my first day back at work today and when asked about the Retreat and how it was, I enthusiastically said “It was SO INSIGHTFUL. Amazing! and I learnt so much!”.
Following our launch of the 2022 Future Shapers Program on 2 March, our brand new Future Shapers left Ballarat for Melbourne for our two-day Opening Retreat. After some time spent at The Savoy Hotel getting to know each other and the program, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of Parliament House, very generously hosted by Juliana Addison MP and her team. We were immersed in the architecture, both old and new and were fortunate to see our State leaders in action during Parliamentary Question Time, prompting plenty of conversation later in the day.
On Day 2 of the Retreat, we immersed ourselves in our region’s priorities. Tim Matthews, Chair of the Central Highlands Regional Partnership, explained the role that the Partnership plays in engaging our community and taking our priorities to the Victorian Government. He also encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones to get involved in community leadership in any way we can. Michael Poulton, CEO of Committee for Ballarat, shared some of the exciting sustainability and connectivity initiatives taking place in our region and inspired us with his energy and willingness to pick up and run with new ideas.
“What a great group of people! I Look forward to continuing to learn and challenge myself throughout the year.”